What's in a Word? Findings from Experiential Group Intercultural Communication Projects

Abstract

Objectives To compete and be successful in the world businesses, no matter at what level of employment, employees need intercultural communication competency skills. As many universities teach theories about intercultural communication, the researchers created an experiential exercise designed to make students apply this theoretical knowledge. Methods We paired students from a Business Communication course in the United States with a similar course in Germany for group projects. For each course with between 25 and 30 students, teams of two or three members were formed. Students experienced intercultural communication in their teams by working to create policies for a new company formed by the merger of a German and an American company. The project taught the students that the theories alone were not enough to make a global team effective. Students were tasked to keep track of all communications, which were then discussed in class. Results One of the most interesting results lay in how the exact use of specific words could change the communication. Specific and direct knowledge of how each culture used specific phrases and terms is vital for the group to communicate well and go beyond differences to achieve results. Conclusions Teaching intercultural communication competency skills with experiential projects allows students to be prepared for the reality of today’s workplace. It does help educators understand that incorporating experiential intercultural projects within coursework is not optional; it is vital to the students’ post-graduation success.